


Scattered Lotuses

by LynRRose



Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/F, Multi, Other, Time Travel, no beta we die like men, nonbinary!naoto, pretty much Persona: Civil War, rated m to be safe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:40:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23986951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LynRRose/pseuds/LynRRose
Summary: Naoto decided to take on the case of a man's missing sister, unknowingly plunging themselves into the middle of a conflict beyond their wildest imagination.
Relationships: Aigis/Arisato Minako, Aigis/Arisato Minako/Metis, Metis/Arisato Minako, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Shirogane Naoto/Labrys
Kudos: 14





	Scattered Lotuses

Mitsuru awoke to her bedroom door being thrown open.

“Father?” She moved to rub the sleep out of her eyes but was yanked out of bed before she could do so.

Her father’s face was grim. “We need to leave. Now.”

Her nine-year-old self couldn’t help herself. “Why?”

“Your grandfather was murdered.”

Mitsuru, stunned, was dragged along through the winding hallways of the mansion. Immediately, she noticed some things were… off. There were no staff members anywhere, only random coffins standing up straight. The midnight sky was also an unnatural green tone. Something seemed familiar about those things.

Once they left the mansion, her father quickly ushered her into a car. He climbed in after her and turned on the ignition.

Nothing.

“Gas engines don’t work during the Dark Hour.”

Mitsuru jumped at the unknown voice.

Somehow she hadn’t seen the figure standing right outside the car until right then. In the twisted moonlight, she could see the features of what seemed like a harmless blonde woman. Her face made Mitsuru feel like she was forgetting something.

Her father cursed and promptly pulled a gun on the stranger.

The stranger only tilted her head in response. “Do you really think that will help?”

The elder Kirijo gritted his teeth. “He started acting strange after he went to see that research facility. That’s when you killed him, wasn’t it?”

“We had not planned to kill him. Honestly, it would have been much easier if he just did what he was asked.”

It was then Mitsuru fully realized the danger of her current situation.

“Do you intend to kill me now that I know the truth?” Her father growled.

“I don’t want to kill you.” The stranger’s luminous blue eyes shifted to Mitsuru. “Especially no in front of your daughter.” 

Her father didn’t miss the intensity of that gaze. “Mitsuru, run.”

“But-”

“Just do it!”

Gunshots rang out through the night as Mitsuru bolted out the car.

Sticks and stones bit into her bare feet as Mitsuru ran into the grounds. She quickly found a hiding spot amongst the brushes and clamped closed her leaking eyes.

After a few minutes, she heard the quiet crunch of approaching footsteps.

She held her breath and waited for the footsteps to pass.

They didn’t.

They stopped right in front of her.

Mitsuru’s heart pounded in her ears as she desperately fought against aching lungs to not make any sound.

“Mitsuru? What are you doing out here?” She opened her eyes to find her father crouched down to see her.

“Father?” She looked around. The sky was its normal hue and there were no coffins insight.

“You must have sleep-walked out here. Come on, let’s get you back to bed.”

Mitsuru didn’t resist being picked up, much to her father’s horror as he watched the black android gently hoist Mitsuru into her arms. Said android’s red gaze met his momentarily before carrying Mitsuru off.

“We don’t have any intention of harming your daughter.”

Takeharu glared at the owner of the voice, the leader of the group he deduced.

Behind her floated a black and white robotic figure littered with cracks and surrounded by bright red “strings.” He knew enough about his father’s research to know that was a persona.

“How can I trust you? You’re not supposed to hurt humans in the first place!” He hissed.

“Actually, that subroutine was only designed to protect staff members, not random folks. Besides, that subroutine has since been wiped from all pre=existing and future models.”

“So, what are you going to do to me?”

“Nothin’,” The leading android turned to him. “As long as you do as we say, we’ll leave running the Kirijo group to you. I was tired of impersonating that guy anyway.”

Takeharu gritted his teeth.

“So, do you understand?”

“...Yes.”

The android holding his hands captive behind his back immediately released him. He rubbed his wrists idly as he watched the two androids leave and wondered what the hell he was going to do.

***

The photo was old and faded, but you could still see the two twins smiling happily at the camera.

“So can you find her?”

I look up at my client, a young man by the name of Minato Arisato. “I can look into it, but remember the most important part of a missing person investigation is the first twenty-four hours and it’s been thirteen years since you’ve seen your sister. I can’t guarantee anything.”

“I haven’t seen her, yes, but I haven’t necessarily been out of contact.” He pulled a parcel out of his coat. “Every year around our birthday, she sends me a note and a present. It’s around that time now, so I figured now would be the best time to approach you.”

I set down the picture and got out my notebook. “So, you say your sister believed that there were people out to get her.”

“Yeah, she began acting strange when we were eight. She kept saying that ‘they’ were coming for her. Never specified who ‘they’ were but she would plain up refuse to go to places sometimes because ‘they would be waiting there for her.’”

“Did she ever mention why these people were after her?”

He shook his head. “Whatever I got out of her was nonsense, something about the power of zero or something. Come to think of it, a lot of things she said before she disappeared didn’t make sense. Stuff about there being twenty-five hours in a day and the moon really being an alien.”

I quietly hummed to myself. “...Was she diagnosed with any mental illnesses?”

Minato’s expression darkened. “My sister isn’t crazy.”

“Having a mental illness is not the same as being ‘crazy.’”

He looked away. “Sorry, I’m just used to people accusing her of that.”

“...Where do these notes come from?”

“They are always dropped off on the front doorstep, specifically my front doorstep. I’ve moved a few times, but they never fail to arrive… If you plan on staking out the front of my place, I would like to come with you. I don’t think she’ll run from me.”

***

“Another late night, huh?”

I hummed in response, not looking up from my laptop.

“What’s this, the seventh night in a row? Jeez, they’re working you to the bone!”

“I’m just finishing up some notes.” I went to take a sip of my coffee only to find it empty.

“So you don’t mind if I talk to you a bit?”

I looked up at her. “Is there something on your mind?”

“Well…” She shifted nervously, averting her red gaze from mine. “Sis was talking about her girlfriend today and I was wondering… if I could have something like that.”

I raised an eyebrow slightly. “You want to pursue a romantic relationship?”

She nodded, face red as flame.

Closing my laptop, I rushed my eyes. “...Why are you approaching me about this? Not to be rude but I’m not much of a romantic. I’m not sure if I’ll be much help.”

“You’re always a big help!”

“...So do you have someone in mind?”

“Of course.”

“And you’re sure you like them?”

“Positively.”

“Then…” I shut my eyes in thought. “...You should probably be direct with it. Of course there is no guarantee they’ll return your feelings but if you really want this, you’ll need to at least try.” 

“Ok…” She pulled in a deep breath. “Naoto Shirogane, would you be my significant other?”

I jolted awake. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, I relaxed, quietly remembering where I was and what I was doing.

“Have a nice nap, detective?” I glanced over to Minato, who was smirking in the other car seat.

I sighed. “How long was I out?”

He shook his head. “Not long at all, I was just teasing you. I would offer you some of my coffee but I’m out.”

“It’s fine.” I adjusted my cap and looked out the window at the darkened street. Who was that woman in my dream? She seemed familiar, yet I did not know any albinos.

As I pondered, I spotted a figure approaching us from across the street.

“Arisato.” He perked up. “There is someone coming towards us.”

“Who is it?”

“Can’t tell. They’re wearing a hoodie.” 

By then, they had reached the car. They pulled a pale hand out of their pocket and tapped on the car window.

A hand resting on my holstered gun, I rolled down the car window.

Red eyes, not unlike those belonging to the woman in my dream, cautiously observed me before their owner eventually spoke. “Naoto Shirogane. I knew eventually she would send you out to get me but to stoop so low to bring my brother into this? I expected more from you.”

“Minako!” Minato cried out. He started to get out of the car but grabbed his arm to stop him.

“There must be a misunderstanding. I was hired by your brother, I’m not with the people out to get you.”

Minako tilted her head. “Do you expect me to believe that? You were the closest to her. You of all people would-” She suddenly paused, her eyes unfocusing.

After a few seconds, her eyes refocused and softened. “Pushing the one you love the most away to protect them, what a human thing to do.” She walked to the car’s back door. “Let me in. We need to go someplace more secure. I’ll tell you everything then.”

I unlocked the door and she quickly scrambled inside. As I began to drive away, Minato craned his neck to look at his sister in the backseat. “Sister, I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too.”

“Why did you run away?”

“I thought I made it clear, if I was to continue to avoid capture, I had to leave. I’m just thankful they were above threatening you.”

“But still-”

Suddenly, one of the tires blew out. I heard a yelp as I tried and succeeded in regaining control of the vehicle. I quickly pulled over the car and got out to assess the damages.

In the remains of the tire lay a knife embedded into the rubber.

I drew my gun and shouted to the Arisatos, “Get down!”

No sooner than I said that, a knife buried itself into the back window. I could see Minato panicking while Minako was as calm as ever.

“They’re here.”

A man with a katana in each hand strode towards us.

“Freeze!” I shouted, aiming my gun at him, but he sped up into a dead sprint.

I fired three shots but in a flash of steel, they disappeared. They seemed to have been deflected.

He was on top of me in seconds. His leg swept out mine from underneath me, sending me crashing into the hard concrete and knocking my gun out of my hand, and he planted his twin katanas into the ground on either side of my head.

“Shirogane. Long timeline no see. Would love to chat, but I don’t got the time. Now hand over Miss Universe or things will get messy.” 

_ Timeline..? _

I heard the opening of a car door. “Stop. Your fight’s with me.”

I craned my head back to see Minako staring down our assailant.

“Ru-!” The assailant’s foot came down upon my throat, effectively silencing me.

“So, you aren’t running away this time. Good, I’ve been dying to see if you are as special as they make you out to be!” He retrieved his swords from where they were stuck in the concrete and pointed one at Minako.

A big psychopathic grin spread across his face. “Now, let’s tango!”

**Author's Note:**

> Check my profile for my twitter/instagram/tumblr for my art.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Criticism is always welcome! Comments make me work faster!


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